Five Graves to Cairo Overview:

Five Graves to Cairo (1943) was a War - Thriller/Suspense Film directed by Billy Wilder and produced by Charles Brackett.

SYNOPSIS

The Sahara heats up as Allied spies try to outwit "Desert Fox" Rommel in this political thriller ably helmed by WIlder. Tone takes refuge in an oasis hotel run by Tamiroff just after the Afrika Korps rumbles through. He assumes a dead hotel waiter's identity, who also happens to have been a spy for Rommel. The intelligent Wilder-Brackett screenplay keeps things bouncing along with intense suspense and a dash of humor.

(Source: available at Amazon AMC Classic Movie Companion).

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Academy Awards 1943 --- Ceremony Number 16 (source: AMPAS)

AwardRecipientResult
Best Art DirectionArt Direction: Hans Dreier, Ernst Fegte; Interior Decoration: Bertram GrangerNominated
Best CinematographyJohn SeitzNominated
Best Film EditingDoane HarrisonNominated
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BlogHub Articles:

Five Graves to Cairo (1943) and The Desert Fox

By 4 Star Film Fan on Nov 10, 2020 From 4 Star Films

For modern audiences especially, the movie’s opening crawl gives us a bit of helpful context. It’s June, 1942.? Field Marshall Erwin Rommel’s Afrika Corps was pounding the Brits back toward Cairo and the Suez Canal. His notoriety as a tactician and “The Desert Fox” is a... Read full article


Five Graves to Cairo

By Amanda Garrett on Apr 22, 2017 From Old Hollywood Films

Today I'm reviewing the World War II thriller, Five Graves to Cairo (1943), starring Franchot Tone, Anne Baxter, and Erich von Stroheim. This article is part of The Franchot Tone Blogathon hosted by Finding Franchot. Old Hollywood leading man Franchot Tone had one of his best roles in the World... Read full article


Five Graves to Cairo (1943)

By Beatrice on Sep 19, 2014 From Flickers in Time

Five Graves to Cairo Directed by Billy Wilder Written by Billy Wilder and Charles?Brackett based on the Lajos Bir? play Hotel Imperial 1943/USA Paramount Pictures Repeat viewing/TCM DVD Billy Wilder’s second directorial effort has little of his characteristic humor or cynicism. ?It is, ho... Read full article


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Quotes from

Field Marshal Rommel: We shall take that big fat cigar out of Mr. Churchill's mouth and make him say Heil.


Field Marshal Rommel: [to Mouche] I don't like women in the morning. Go away!


Field Marshal Rommel: [to Mouche, as she serves him coffee in bed] Your hands are neat - why isn't the spoon?


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Facts about

The tank seen at the start of the picture was an actual American army tank but not authentically a British one. It was loaned to the production by a neighboring American army base. The production had attempted to get a real British tank but had had their request knocked backed.
Much public interest was generated when it was announced that Erich von Stroheim would be playing Nazi German Field Marshal Erwin Rommel in this picture.
Most of the Nazi German soldiers are played by German actors except for Field Marshal Rommel who was played by Erich von Stroheim, an Austrian.
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